Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-04
THE PLUMBERS SIDE OF m.
Why shey OBJECT Co the Contested Regu.
latiOms.

4 WY toey ODyect 10 tine Co0teSee0 BeRus
| lati0ms.
| Passing along street yesterday a STAR reporter
| happened TO meet Messra c. g. Thorn and K A.
Ridsway, the well-known and old-established
plumbers. In conversation together.
well, good morning. gentlemen am anxious
! TO know II you plumbers and the Commissioners
| have settled your difficulties yet.D
| mo- sir; we have not" replied Mr. RidRway
"and am OF the opinion that the action OF the
Commissioners In refusing to grant Mr. Daniel
Hannah permits to open streets for the introduc.
tlon OF water and sewers Is great piece OF inius-
uice. Why, Sir. this man Is veteran In the bust.
ness. He Is one OF the most thorough worKInen In
the business The District ITSELF with all its high.
salaried employees has not his equal for thorough
and with dispatch. As to his general mouse.
plumbing, 1t Is ALWAYS carefully and intelligently
ps.lonmed. Yet they attempt 10 shut out THIS
won't pass certain kind OF civil-service examine
tion required by them"
"Well II he Is competent, why doesn't he comply
with the new additional reoulatfOnsen
| NY dear ar IL Is not question Of competency
wiz ~ M Via; Mannan; Nobody that knows the man
is purely question OF principle with him. IL re-
solves itself into this that here is an
1 Gen, an%arranted by common law and COM
animation any more than an architect OF builder
The architect Is required to submit his plans OF
also the plumbing laid out on IT. both being passed
upon and indorsed BY the BUILDING and plumbing
inspectors. The matter does not end here, for II
do the houses and plumbing might be built and
zone entirety Inherent from what the plans call
Tor There Is an onicial inspection OF the work as
~ progresses made by the above officers, and 1t y
their duty TO see that everything is done In obedi
eRce to the regulations governing house building
and plumbing. What does the proposed examina-
curry into the applicants KNOWLEDGE of how
plumbing should be done as required by the rules
and regulations. Is this knowledge any guarantee
nlnmhaP " IN no raIiah Op
the rules? VIM the public health be benefited
by the plumbers simply possessing this lnforma-
the health ONCE set loose ali the plumbers
that have submitted to the examination and
passed 70 do plumbing simply on the theory that
as they know all about IT, they Will not require
any supervision or inspection? As the house
Is planned the house should be built [as far as
the pans IL sSo aao as sne 81 hs
and II Is the duty OF the inspectors to that such
ID the case II is here that the competency OF the
evidence OF his skill. viii also add that fully
syihpathize with, endorse encourage, and will as
sst Mr.. Hannah In his Efforts 10 defeat these un-
Then, Mr.. Ridgway, you don't intend comply
ing with the last regulations issued:"
mo, SIR, don't. II my age and experience from
boynoOd, my work and my dealings are not suffi-
eient guarantee that understand my business
and cannot carry IL on without submitting TO in
nlgnltles ana oppression or the commissioners
Tentative but to close up. This point, however,
shall contest. They will have TO show cause, and
this they will be unable to do, as my record Of
twenty-five years, both with the old municipal
government and the present one, has been OF such
character that they have never had reason for
'.Mr Thorn. what is your position In the natter"
well, sir fully concur In and indorse the sen
timents expressed by Mr.. Rdgway. ! win add,
inissioners and Mir. Hannah aione / have been
denied permits on the same ground as Mr.. Han
nan-that Is, my refusal to comply with the last
| these
that SO much fuss has been made about, are the
worst Kind OF bosh. There Is nothing good In
or persons Here are some things they include:
state age. full name residence place OF business
whether married or single, past history. expert
whom he has worked Then an examination of
the plumber as TO his knowledge OF physics and
hygiene, the obnoxious and illegal s. registration
fee and letters from three dsinteresled respOnsi-
bic citizens OF the District certifying 10 the intei-
gence, good habits, and character OF the applicant
Think OF such men as Ridgway, Hannah, and other
well-knOwn, law-abiding, responsible citizens,
being compelled TO go out ana ask for certificate
Q: character from people among whom they have
lived all their lives Neither the public nor the
public health is benefited by all this nonsense
The house builders and the general public fully
not opposed 10 nor fighti q against the plumbing
regulations. We have always cheerfuiiy compiled
With these rules, ana II there has been defective
pot been rigidly enforced The plumber doing de-
lsctive work Is punishable under the law by fne
or imprisonment. The Commissioners have all
am OF the opinion that the Will sustain them
IN punisning Offenders As Mr.. Ridgway says,
his passport. II the inspector sees that a work.
man Is not competent and don't understand the
principles ON which the work should be done.
Knowing better ana Jet doing bad work should be
punished and either compelled TO do the work
properly or be driven out OF the trade.
I'VE do not oppose legal and reasonable regula-
tiOns for our business pr0pOrtiOnate TO what Is
applied to other business Of like kinds. There is
no question now between Mr. Daniel Hannah,
kidgway or myself and the plumbing Inspector
his assistant or the health oftcer They know thai
we have always eheer1uliy co-operated with them
ana have done our Work fLteilgently and without
any annoy ance 10 them We are al bonded and
registered, aud hare been since 1882 as the regula
lions then required Why. sir. the old regulations
are all right. There was no need or lacking on 10
them the last foolish amendments The CON-
missioners have partly seen their error since the
suit In court, as you will notice on reading Capt.
Symon's report.
GAS another Objectionable feature, we don't like
the composition OF this examining board They
Test aasnsS their slna 9daep 99 on % Sd p pnS
experienced practical plumbers In fact we object
ana are opposed 10 the whole plan OF crediling
KIND OF professional monopoly la the plumbing
business Why, sir, II would be quite possible IOf
these examiners-l don't say they would do So
tolimit the number OF plumbers 70 choice few
I'VE think" said Mr. R1dgway, shat any citizen
having the capital and enterprise should be free TO
engage In plumbing as In other business, and that
out Of t, provided, OF course, he employs
workmen and abides by the rules governing house
plumbing may add that the largest plumbing
houses IN this city to-day are carried on by men
who have never worked day or served any ap-
premiership at the business, but IL is TO be pre-
sumed, OF course, that they have competent fore
men and workmen to attend TO the details
considerable Is said, know, about the import
ance TO the pubic OF plumbers WORK, not only In
houses but also In excavating the streets for the
mlssaonerA OF course should not grant excavation
permits 70 every irresponsible person that might
appiyf but certainly this ciyiiseryice examination
u not necessary for such work. The fact Is that
uon 70 his other burdens, before ne can disturb a
pavement, and the cost Of relay1nR the pavement
II charged up against that deposit AS 70 water
mains and sewers, the plumber simply LAYS the
lateral pipes The District government has always
tapped the sewers and water mains II there has
been any bad work and leakage at those points
ns owp employees, not ours, have been TO blame,
~Then, Sir" said Mr.. Thorn, ..artfcles have been
published giving the idea that those who protest
against the new regulations are men VINO would
ofcemeut, and, therefore, are not worthy OF atten-
tion. Well, here are three OF US who protest
Daniel Hannah. whose record goes back to
1A6', hdgways 70 1885, and my own to 1884,
are incompetent or do bad work, It would have an
| hon.
I'VE know there are others Just as INDIGNANT az
/ se are, but who have taken the easier cOurse OF
submitting 70 what they thought wrong rather
sufferers. Our work Is suspended Indefinitely.
| "rhe commissioner their attorneys and subor-
dinates seem tobe angry because they have not had
Their own way. They treat the order OF the court
| up the nght.' II defeated IN the courts theS
\ threaten TO 20 to Congress and get addit1cns n